Originally posted on TRVL 101: Source Every college student dreams of studying abroad (or at least they should). I mean why not? Doing exactly what they’re doing at their home college, but abroad! I’ve been presented with an extensive list of excuses why not to study abroad; price, FOMO (fear of missing out), fear in general, etc, etc. It’s all BS. College should be a time to step outside of your comfort zone. This includes studying abroad. I’ve created this guide to provide a step-by-step analysis to getting yourself where you want to be. Choosing a Program The first thing you need to think about is ‘what are your academic goals?’ Are you interested in a semester, year, or break abroad? Are you interested in receiving Major related credit? Minor related credit? General education credit? Do you have a specific country you’re interested in going to? These are all questions you need to seriously consider! Believe it or not, there are more programs out there than you could possibly sift through. Narrowing down your wishes will help you locate the perfect program…

Originally posted on The Sunflower Cafe: This past week I’ve been working on moving out of my parent’s house and into my first apartment. So far it hasn’t been much of a challenge packing all my things and getting them over to my new place. I actually procrastinated until the day I had to go down there to start throwing things into suitcases and I did this all without running behind schedule. That was until it came to my books. I’m still trying to figure out a way to pack them. I have a few at the apartment now, but I have a box, a backpack, and a duffel bag currently overflowing. While cramming them in yesterday, I started to wonder if I even needed to take them all with me. It’s not like I was going to re-read all of them anytime soon. I really only needed the ones for my classes. I could just leave a bunch here and slowly get them over time. It just didn’t feel right though. I love having…

Due to my strong desire to master budgeting, I spent last weekend downloading grocery coupon apps (RetailMeNot, Saving Star, etc.) and rebate apps. I found one rebate app that I love and one that’s a great sidekick. 1. The sidekick Every Wednesday, a new list of rebates is released. The rebate (typically anywhere from $0.25-1) applies to a product. It isn’t store specific. The reason it’s the sidekick? Most of the rebates tend to be brand specific (i.e. Pledge Floorcare Product). Living on a budget means I may not be able to buy the brand item. A $1.50 rebate on a $10 brand item isn’t better than a $5 generic item. On my first receipt (Fourth of July weekend…we bought a lot of stuff) I was able to make $1.75. 2. The superhero Though I’m not rolling in the rebate dough, the app offers a bit more than Checkout 51. The rebates are specific to certain stores, but many of them are found at multiple stores. Some rebates are brand specific, but many aren’t. Many …

1. Public Relations A college environment is a great place to start a PR company. You’re surrounded by individuals who want to “create a name” for their selves or establish some sort of credibility before entering the work force. A major part of doing so is knowing how to brand oneself. If said individual happens to have a company, that’s double the branding. Social media can be difficult to master and more importantly, time consuming. If you’re willing to start out working from a nonexistent or low price you’re bound to gain a large clientele. As a young professional this is a great opportunity to work with older professionals that aren’t as hip to social media trends. I realize the goal is to make money. You may be wondering how that would be possible if you work for little to no money. Remember, your works speaks for itself. If you have a client that is serious about their business and they just need help with PR, you’re in a great position. Your ability to make money …

Remember that acronym you learned in math? Keep It Simple Stupid (K.I.S.S.)? Well now you can finally put it to use (no offense math majors). A lot of student filmmakers do their best to emulate Hollywood films. Typically it comes out looking like a cheaply and horribly made film with a concept too large to effectively fit in a short amount of time. There’s a very easy solution to this problem…keep it simple: simple plot, simple casting (1-2 characters), and simple (or no) effects. Sometimes that can go a lot further. Here’s a wonderful example, a short by Scorsese titled The Big Shave (1967). Simple but it packs a lot of punch. Enjoy! Pizza, Netflix, and Happiness. Mei.

If I’ve learned nothing else this year (though for the record I have acquired much knowledge in my first year as a post grad) I have been reassured that there is more than one way to pursue a career. Two summers ago, I ventured to Los Angeles for internships. Many of us went with the expectation that the summer experience would provide us with an answer. An answer to the ever-present question: How do I break into the industry of TV/film? The answer we always received was: There is no clear-cut path. In addition, we were advised to: Intern as much as possible Network Create a demo reel/build a portfolio Find ways to set yourself apart from others in job settings Explore! Make sure what you think you want to do is what you actually want to do …and so forth. At the end of the day it was up to each of us to figure out how we wanted to DESIGN OUR OWN PATHS. There are basic traits that can be a great foundation – hard work, being …

Ira Glass: radio personality, host and executive producer of This American Life, NPRer, and an inspiration. This video displays a very significant statement about a phase that we all go through. So take a look. Start your morning, afternoon, or night off on a “good to know” note. Without further ado, I present to you: Ira Glass on Storytelling Part 3 Enjoy! Also, I’m pretty sure Ira Glass is a meta-hipster. G.U.M Team